Differences
by Taya
Summary: HGSS - A twist on the Time Turner idea: Hermione has traveled back in time to her Hogwarts days, whilst her 'present-day' self struggles with a new discovery about herself.
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and related characters contained herein are not my property. The words, order in which they are placed and other ideas are, however, mine, as well as any original characters and the characterisation of Hermione as an adult. Please ask before borrowing.  
  
The dates may be slightly skewed; I'm going on the basis that Hermione was born 19 September 1980, graduated Hogwarts June 1998, and began NEWT-level classes September 1996.  
  
CHAPTER ONE  
  
"Albus! How are you?" A young woman stepped through the bright green flames that had roared up in Albus Dumbledore's fireplace.  
  
He did a double take as he stood to greet her. "Excuse me, I don't believe I recognise you..."  
  
She laughed gaily as she rounded Albus' desk to hug him in greeting. "Oh, Albus. It's so good to see you. I hope everything's alright around here."  
  
"I'm sorry, I really don't know who you are..."  
  
"ALBUS!" roared a new voice, storming in, and the woman whirled around, taking steps towards the door, her burgundy robes releasing the dusting of soot that she'd received coming through the Floo. She'd already drawn her wand, but her wand arm dropped to her side when she recognised the 'intruder'.  
  
"Oh, my. Severus, what are you doing here?"  
  
"Excuse me." He pushed her aside as he entered. "Albus, just what do you think you are doing? Neville Longbottom? In my NEWTs Potions class?"  
  
"Oh, my." The woman said again. "This cannot be right. Severus, what are you talking about? This was twelve years a..." she trailed off as she realised. "...go. Oh, dear," she said. "Something's gone terribly wrong."  
  
"My dear...who are you?" Albus completely ignored Severus and rounded his desk to approach her. "I'm afraid I don't seem to recongise you."  
  
The brunette took in a deep breath. "Um, Se - Professor Snape, I..."  
  
"Severus, please excuse us." Albus dismissed his Potions Master with a wave of the hand and grumbling, Severus stalked out of the room, much resembling a bat.  
  
"I...Oh, my." The woman said once more. "Something's dreadfully wrong."  
  
"Who are you?" Albus asked once more, his face kind.  
  
"I'm Hermione Granger, sir. And Neville Longbottom was admitted to Severus Snape's NEWT-level Potions class twelve years ago."  
  
"Twelve years?" Albus repeated incredulously, readjusting his spectacles. "Twelve years, you say. So this makes you the Hermione Granger of 2008."  
  
"Yes, Headmaster. I'm 27 years old. I graduated from Hogwarts ten years ago."  
  
"Oh, dear. This is a problem. I don't suppose you know how you can get back?"  
  
Hermione blinked as her normally warm, now troubled, brown eyes darted around, taking in the sights of everything around her, then turned downwards as she twisted her hands. "There ought to be a potion. Unless the...but it hasn't," she mumbled to herself, blinking rapidly as she tried to work things out in her head. "No. A potion might work but I would have to...and that would be terrible, wouldn't work at all. I don't know what I'm going to do...I..."  
  
"Hermione. Please."  
  
Hermione looked up, startled, at Albus. "I'm sorry. No, I don't. And I don't remember anything about my future self coming back in my sixth year...I must admit I'm at a loss."  
  
"Easily remedied. What do you remember about your sixth year? Significant changes."  
  
"I...I had thought about going back onto a Time Turner schedule but then realised I didn't need it...I was taking Arithmancy and Ancient Runes as my electives, as well as everything else save Divination-" she scowled "-and Muggle Studies...I...oh!"  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Professor Vector went on sabbatical! We had a spectacular new Arithmancy teacher, I think her name was...how odd, I don't remember..."  
  
"Vanessa is not on sabbatical this term. She has expressed some interest in taking one, of course, she has a standing offer to study with her old University professors for a Mistress title.."  
  
"I am an Arithmancy Mistress." Hermione said abruptly.  
  
"You are? No doubt Vanessa will be thrilled." Albus steepled his fingers. "Minerva, however, will be disappointed..."  
  
"I'm working towards Transfiguration," admitted Hermione. "Although I...I do have a Potions Mistress title as well, Sev...my husband..." she trailed off and stopped. "I suppose I shouldn't be telling you that."  
  
"No, no, not at all, my dear.  
  
"If Professor Vector is not on sabbatical this term, then perhaps she can go on sabbatical?" Albus continued. "You remember Vanessa as being on sabbatical and having a new Arithmancy professor. Perhaps you are the new professor?"  
  
"She...was an Arithmancy Mistress," Hermione said haltingly. "She was my inspiration, really."  
  
"Then that will be it."  
  
Hermione looked worried. "Is there time to do that? What's the date?"  
  
"Today is 16 August," said Albus. "You have a few weeks. I'm sure Vanessa will be thrilled. There is the...small matter...of your appearance. Although I did not see it right away, I have no doubt Harry and Ron would."  
  
"I can sustain a glamour," offered Hermione. "Something you will discover this term, no doubt...I am - Hermione Granger is - Dusang."  
  
"Of the Blood? Are you sure? It is so rare nowadays, especially in those who are Muggleborn."  
  
Hermione had the grace not to look affronted. "Yes. I am Dusang. I can maintain the glamour for months on end, if need be, without much exertion on my part."  
  
Albus looked uncomfortable. "And this is how you would change your appearance? It is not an option many would choose. I can offer you Polyjuice."  
  
Hermione looked vaguely concerned with that idea, and shook her head. "No, it's quite alright, Albus." She smiled lopsidedly and pushed a hand through her hair. "I would really rather stay away from Polyjuice, if it's all the same, simply because..." Because I do not want to be a cat again, she wanted to add, but instead continued by saying, "Because it's so inconvenient, having to take the potion every hour." She smiled again. "I will use the glamour."  
  
"Very well, then. I will speak with Vanessa. You may temporarily reside in the Gryffindor Head Girl's quarters - surely you remember that the Head Girl in your sixth year was a Ravenclaw. As such, the password is the same as the first password we gave you." Albus walked Hermione to the door of his office. "After I make the appropriate arrangements with Vanessa, I will contact you for finalisation."  
  
"Thank you, Albus. I'll see you later, then." Hermione strode out the door, brushing past a very irritated Severus Snape on her way out.  
  
And she wondered how she would ever be able to make it work.  
  
End Chapter One 


	2. Chapter Two

AN: Thank you to all reviewers. Responses can be found at the end of the chapter. As always, I don't own, you don't sue. Many apologies for the slightly skewed version posted earlier. I have fixed the problem (or tried to).  
  
CHAPTER TWO  
  
Hermione Granger stared moodily into the crackling fire dancing in her fireplace. Old habits die hard, and though she had not done this since she had married Severus, the impulse was still there. Granted, in a way the two were still newlyweds, not yet married a full year when...well, until this happened.  
  
The fire flared green, and a cream-coloured envelope sealed with red wax, stamped with the Hogwarts crest, shot form the flames, streaking out to hit a leg of the table at which Hermione was silently seated.  
  
She leaned down to pick up the envelope, and as she did so, she slid a nail under the red seal to break it. She pulled out a sheet of parchment bearing familiar rounded handwriting in a yet-more familiar shade of emerald green ink.  
  
ifont face="Monotype Corsiva"Hermione:  
  
Please come to my office when you receive this. We have gathered the Heads of Houses as well as Professor Vector so that we may make the final arrangements. This is very urgent.  
  
Everything will be explained in more detail when you arrive. Please have a glamour in mind.  
  
Regards,  
  
Albus Dumbledore/font/i  
  
Hermione nodded and smiled to herself. She had, indeed, already chosen a glamour for herself, one which she knew she would find and learn this year. Standing, she whispered the extinguishing spell for the fireplace, and exited her quarters.  
  
*****  
  
Hermione found herself standing in the doorway of Albus' office in no time, and four professors sat there with the Headmaster himself.  
  
"Please, come in, my dear."  
  
Hermione smiled and entered, taking the seat nearest the fireplace. It was August, and though Hermione preferred the comfort of a fire no matter what season (with charms, of course, one could alter temperature though it was considered unnecessary and almost wasteful of one's energy), it was obvious that Albus much preferred the warm sunlight, which poured in through a window behind his desk.  
  
As she looked around, she realised that one person was missing, the one person she was both dreading and looking forward to seeing.  
  
"Albus...where is Severus?"  
  
Albus frowned slightly. "Ah, yes, there is that...he will not be joining us. He was called away on urgent business."  
  
Hermione observed Minerva McGonagall and Filius Flitwick sharing significant glances, and she knew exactly what 'urgent business' entailed. Pomona Sprout, however, seemed unaffected, and Thalia Vector looked similarly unperturbed. Hermione wondered just how much of her speculation as a sixth-year had been based on nothing. She had assumed, until her own induction into the Order of the Phoenix, that Thalia Vector, of all people, had to know exactly what was going on. The perceptive Ravenclaw, however, looked blissfully ignorant at the moment. Although if Hermione's other suspicion (that Vector had a great deal of Slytherin in her) was correct, then Vector probably was quite aware of the goings-on surrounding the Potions Master.  
  
"I...see," said Hermione lamely, unsure of how else to react. Certainly she knew how it was, possibly better than anyone else - having to come home to an empty bed, knowing that her husband was away, on business not only urgent but possibly life-threatening, hoping that he would come home later only to drink himself into a stupor and wake up the next morning, head throbbing and limbs aching. Merlin knew she had done the best she could but sometimes she had had to wonder - still had to, for that matter - if it made it worse for him, now that he felt he had to 'take care' of her, as well. Sometimes she wished that he was not the person he was, but she also knew at the same time that were he not the same person he was, she would not only not be the person SHE was, but they would probably not be together.  
  
"...Hermione?" Albus had begun to talk, to take everyone's mind off of Severus, but he had failed in her little corner. "Hermione."  
  
She smiled weakly. "I...sorry," she said apologetically. "My mind was elsewhere."  
  
"We were asking if you had a name in mind."  
  
"Espoir," she said unhesitatingly.  
  
Minerva for once looked confused, but a smile had lit up Albus' vaguely somber face. "Hope," he said triumphantly. "What an inspired choice! And for a first name?"  
  
"Melpomene."  
  
Now Minerva looked disturbed. "Melpomene? The muse of tragedy?"  
  
Hermione smiled. "The perfect counterpart to Thalia, muse of comedy, isn't it?"  
  
Thalia Vector looked surprised. "That is...an interesting choice," she allowed. "But I don't believe it matters. Except for your own younger counterpart and those who actually pay attention in Astronomy - that is, if mythology is still in the Astronomy curriculum - no-one will understand the symbolism. Not that anyone remembers my first name anyhow."  
  
"Then welcome to the staff, Professor Melpomene Espoir."  
  
"Thank you." Hermione smiled.  
  
"You're positive you want to use a glamour?"  
  
"Yes." Hermione glanced down, then looked up again abruptly. "Before we go on," she interrupted Albus' open mouth, "I want to bring up the fact that Espoir is an old Pureblood name."  
  
"So it is, isn't it..." mused Flitwick, not only a Charms Master but well versed in Magical Geneaology, something he was avidly interested in on the side.  
  
Hermione looked askance briefly at Albus. "I want to join Severus."  
  
TBC  
  
Electryone: Always a pleasure to read not only your reviews but your fics as well, and thank you for being another one of those authors whose reviews make me beam with pride. *veg* (Not that the other ones don't as well, of course!) Thanks for all of your constructive criticism, I took it into consideration when I rewrote the first chapter, which I still feel is slightly rushed but sometimes I can't do much better! I know what you mean by the slight OOC-ness in regards to Hermione's accepting her plight (fantastic word by the way, LOL) and Albus' taking her as an Arithmancy teacher. But I simply couldn't see Hermione freaking out over that, considering who she is in the future (which I will get into, pinky swear!) and I certainly couldn't see Albus interrogating her. PS - I can't see Severus treating her Know-it-All-ness well in either situation! *g*  
  
Killer Angel: Thanks muchly for your review. I'm glad you thought it was unique, 'cause that was the whole point! And the paradox...yes, I thought it was amusing too!  
  
MidiMalfoy: Thank you, thanks for reviewing.  
  
Fleria: Well, that was rather the point... *veg* Thanks for reviewing!  
  
Waterford: Thank you! (For reviewing, too!)  
  
Caitlin19: Thanks muchly!  
  
Melwasul: *salutes* Yes ma'am! (Or sir... *veg*)  
  
Tracy3: *g* Certainly something I'll think about...great idea!  
  
hippoTHEmagical: Thank you so so much! I'm glad you like it and I hope it lives up to your expectations! 


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